Puppy transporter charged with cruelty

WEBSTER, Mass., July 10 (UPI) -- Police in a Massachusetts town say they found 27 puppies in filthy cages in the back of a 12-foot van that had broken down.

A passer-by reported the van to police in Webster, in central Massachusetts, after hearing the dogs yelping, the Boston Herald reported. After police examined the van, the driver, John Clayton, 44, of Missouri was arrested on a charge of felony animal cruelty.

"It was horrific; the conditions were appalling," Sgt. Michaela Kelley said. "There was no water in any of the dishes. The cages were filthy, and the smell was horrific. There were flies. It was just bad."

Kelley said Clayton, employed by a Missouri animal transport company named Puppy Ship, started his trip Monday with about 50 dogs. He had dropped off 10 at a pet shop in Webster when his trip was interrupted.

Most of the puppies were smaller varieties, including designer mixes like puggles, morkies and bogles. Kelley said some of the animals were housed more than one to a cage.

Bail was set at $1,000 during a court hearing Thursday.